Mark Ellen (Whistle Test, The Word, Q, Smash Hits) on Morrissey, at The Mouth Magazine

Brilliant interview with Mark Ellen who used to present Whistle Test and was the editor for various music magazines. He has quite a lot to say about Morrissey in both parts of this interview.


http://themouthmagazine.com/2015/03/20/mark-ellen/

Mark Ellen's views on what a father would or wouldn't say are pretty bland, really. He should have met my father, it would have been a shock for him, I guess.

 

[Anonymous]

nice thanks. ill read today as i still like Q and the word

 

[Anonymous]

An anonymous person writes:

Brilliant interview with Mark Ellen who used to present Whistle Test and was the editor for various music magazines. He has quite a lot to say about Morrissey in both parts of this interview.

Mark Ellen Interview - The Mouth Magazine

Excerpt:

...THIS MIGHT TOUCH ON SOMETHING WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER; THE GAP BETWEEN THE FANTASY AND REALITY. BUT I WONDERED WHETHER YOU’D ENCOUNTERED MORRISSEY SINCE THAT WHISTLE TEST PIECE – AND WHETHER THE WAY IN WHICH HE’S COMPLETELY CONSTRUCTED, REFINED AND PERFECTED THE PERSONA SINCE THEN MEANS HE’S NOW ABSOLUTELY IMPENETRABLE?
I’ve only actually met him three or four times since that interview – and I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed him since. I absolutely adore Morrissey, let me tell you. I’m one of those people who finds it almost impossible to be at all critical of him because I just love what he does. But if I did have just the one criticism of Morrissey, it’s that he’s created this world which is so restricting it must be impossible for him to manoeuvre outside the very tight contours of what he’s created… I read his book, I didn’t finish it. Did you read it? Do you like The Smiths?

---

Related item:

• The Smiths - In the Studio (BBC Whistle Test 1985) - YouTube

 

[BrummieBoy]

" The Smiths will get back together one day… … THEY WON’T…
Oh they will, they will. You wait and see."

I'm sure Morissey will be delighted for yet another Meh! about his solo career. I also think The Smiths will reform, but only because Morrissey is a fame junkie. Not for money, for one last flash of the limelight which clearly isn't happening on this Meh! arena tour.

best
BB

 

[Anonymous]

" The Smiths will get back together one day… … THEY WON’T…
Oh they will, they will. You wait and see."

I'm sure Morissey will be delighted for yet another Meh! about his solo career. I also think The Smiths will reform, but only because Morrissey is a fame junkie. Not for money, for one last flash of the limelight which clearly isn't happening on this Meh! arena tour.

best
BB

Blimey, you are lucky to be so singular in every respect you seem to be here 24/7, and The Smiths are Morrissey, hope he agrees to the session backers reuniting lol quids in for the needy perhaps x

 

[Johnny Barleycorn]

"But if I did have just the one criticism of Morrissey, it’s that he’s created this world which is so restricting it must be impossible for him to manoeuvre outside the very tight contours of what he’s created."

An interesting point, and it is really central to what an increasing number of people have been pointing out over the last decade in particular.

If Morrissey wants to criticise right, left and centre, often in the most withering terms (and he does) he really needs to be approaching a paragon himself, or people might suspect he's something of a fraud. The "you cannot question my personal opinion" stuff might work for him within his organisation but it doesn't fly down here on planet Earth.

 

[BrummieBoy]

Blimey, you are lucky to be so singular in every respect you seem to be here 24/7, and The Smiths are Morrissey, hope he agrees to the session backers reuniting lol quids in for the needy perhaps x

No, I'm here when it amuses me. I'm watching The Voice. They are about to vote.I am drinking vegan wine and spending a lovely evening with my family. I am not allowed to talk whilst they watch this talent show so I distract myself with a variety of websites. This is one of them. I also do Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Commenting here is of the same level of importance as arguing with Arsenal and Villa fans. If you think it means any more to me, that's your burden.

He will reform The Smiths as he is unlikey to accept his gradual irrelevance as it creeps up on him.

best
BB

 

[BrummieBoy]

"But if I did have just the one criticism of Morrissey, it’s that he’s created this world which is so restricting it must be impossible for him to manoeuvre outside the very tight contours of what he’s created."

An interesting point, and it is really central to what an increasing number of people have been pointing out over the last decade in particular.

If Morrissey wants to criticise right, left and centre, often in the most withering terms (and he does) he really needs to be approaching a paragon himself, or people might suspect he's something of a fraud. The "you cannot question my personal opinion" stuff might work for him within his organisation but it doesn't fly down here on planet Earth.

If Morrissey wants to criticise others, and he certainly relishes doing so, then he has to expect that anyone with a brain will effortlessly reduce his ludicrous worldview to trash status simply by applying basic reason and logic. He is indeed a fraud and outside of the bubble he has created by buying an entourage he would be treated as a sociopath for his various outbursts about Utoya and sub-species.

best
BB

 

[Anonymous]

No, I'm here when it amuses me. I'm watching The Voice. They are about to vote.I am drinking vegan wine and spending a lovely evening with my family. I am not allowed to talk whilst they watch this talent show so I distract myself with a variety of websites. This is one of them. I also do Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Commenting here is of the same level of importance as arguing with Arsenal and Villa fans. If you think it means any more to me, that's your burden.

He will reform The Smiths as he is unlikey to accept his gradual irrelevance as it creeps up on him.

best
BB

I suspect that you are not allowed to talk because your 'family' (although we all know you are sat alone in your scummy bedsit with a pot noodle and can of Diamond White), like everyone else, think that you are a total c***.

Good luck with the Open University philosophy degree you unemployable, balding and tedious piece of shit.

'Best' 'rolls eyes' etc

 

[Anonymous]

1. Journalists write themselves too much into the picture when, really, they don't KNOW the artists
2. To be put into brackets happens to EVERY artist and EVERY artist fights against it
3. The act of putting an artist into brackets is done by the public / journalists / papers, the artist just provides SOMETHING in the beginning
4. Journalists and papers actually live quite well from writing the same shit over and over again about an artist even when it's plain obvious for
everyone that it isn't the reality anymore, so there's a huge portion of hypocrisy in Mark Ellen's words

END OF STORY

 

[Gregor Samsa]

No, I'm here when it amuses me. I'm watching The Voice. They are about to vote.I am drinking vegan wine and spending a lovely evening with my family. I am not allowed to talk whilst they watch this talent show so I distract myself with a variety of websites. This is one of them. I also do Sudoku and crossword puzzles. Commenting here is of the same level of importance as arguing with Arsenal and Villa fans. If you think it means any more to me, that's your burden.

He will reform The Smiths as he is unlikey to accept his gradual irrelevance as it creeps up on him.

best
BB

It does seem to mean a great deal to you, as you are on here all the time (every time I pop in to see what's going on your comments are the last ones posted). And you're always posting pretty much the same stuff. All the bleeding time. I've brushed upon it before, it doesn't seem healthy at all. Nor necessary, nor entertaining.

It's mostly the repetetiveness I object to. Every one's entitled to their opinion, but repeating them ad nauseum is just plain silly (or worse).

Get a hold of yourself, man.

 

[Anonymous]

" The Smiths will get back together one day… … THEY WON’T…
Oh they will, they will. You wait and see."

I'm sure Morissey will be delighted for yet another Meh! about his solo career. I also think The Smiths will reform, but only because Morrissey is a fame junkie. Not for money, for one last flash of the limelight which clearly isn't happening on this Meh! arena tour.

best
BB

Brummie, I know that you come across as a bit of a twat most of the time, but in the past you have offered a few interesting posts, so I am making an attempt to engage you in a vaguely mature discussion...here goes...you say that Morrissey is a 'fame junkie' but I don't see this at all. He shuns most television interviews (and is both taciturn and awkward when he does appear on TV), has deliberately pissed off most of the music press and does little to promote his new material beyond the obligatory touring (which usually descends into farce...although this tour has been very good, well, at least the two concerts I attended). Are these the habits of someone desperate for fame?

You don't have to reply, I know that The Voice can get very tense, but I would be genuinely interested in what you have to say. I know it's late and I should be doing something more worthwhile, but I've just put my two year old to bed and need some down time before I collapse.

 

[BrummieBoy]

I suspect that you are not allowed to talk because your 'family' (although we all know you are sat alone in your scummy bedsit with a pot noodle and can of Diamond White), like everyone else, think that you are a total c***.

Good luck with the Open University philosophy degree you unemployable, balding and tedious piece of shit.

'Best' 'rolls eyes' etc

I will add this to my collection of favourite compliments! Thanks for sharing. And...suck my balls.

best
BB

- - - Updated - - -

It does seem to mean a great deal to you, as you are on here all the time (every time I pop in to see what's going on your comments are the last ones posted). And you're always posting pretty much the same stuff. All the bleeding time. I've brushed upon it before, it doesn't seem healthy at all. Nor necessary, nor entertaining.

It's mostly the repetetiveness I object to. Every one's entitled to their opinion, but repeating them ad nauseum is just plain silly (or worse).

Get a hold of yourself, man.

It's been a while since I've heard from snivelling Gregor. What makes you think I care about your opinion now when I didn't give 2 f***s last time?

best
BB

- - - Updated - - -

Brummie, I know that you come across as a bit of a twat most of the time, but in the past you have offered a few interesting posts, so I am making an attempt to engage you in a vaguely mature discussion...here goes...you say that Morrissey is a 'fame junkie' but I don't see this at all. He shuns most television interviews (and is both taciturn and awkward when he does appear on TV), has deliberately pissed off most of the music press and does little to promote his new material beyond the obligatory touring (which usually descends into farce...although this tour has been very good, well, at least the two concerts I attended). Are these the habits of someone desperate for fame?

You don't have to reply, I know that The Voice can get very tense, but I would be genuinely interested in what you have to say. I know it's late and I should be doing something more worthwhile, but I've just put my two year old to bed and need some down time before I collapse.

I will reply. Briefly. You being by offering a misogynist insult then request 'a vaguely mature discussion', to which I reply:

f*** off and die.

best
BB

 

[Anonymouswithapologies]

Brilliant interview with Mark Ellen who used to present Whistle Test and was the editor for various music magazines. He has quite a lot to say about Morrissey in both parts of this interview.


http://themouthmagazine.com/2015/03/20/mark-ellen/

hm, mr. ellen's got some issues with morrissey:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbi...rissey-wins-apology-magazine-racist-slur.html


but complaining about a large part dedicated to trial in autobiography

and critiques morrissey's way of living, probably according to what editor 'thinks' how pop-star should behave. available? certainly not, for busybodies of all sorts.


also, he met him 3 or 4 times after 'the smiths' (ALMOST 30 YEARS!) i'm a bit disappointed 'cause this person was editor in famous q magazine.

 

[Anonymous]

Great piece. And totally to the point.

Of course it is one big fat lie when Morrissey claims that The Smiths were entirely self-made. And he even admits himself in his Autobiography that on his own he didn't get anything done apart from write the lyrics. And that he had this friend who was a writer and that there were six people at Rough Trade who put the whole persona together including feeding him with books that fit and we know that he was buddies and seen out and about with the odd PR person who more likely than not practised interviews with him. If you go back to The Smiths interviews, and he still does it today, he often times just goes on taking for the sake of talking, because he knows that the impression counts more than what he actually says.

The very restricted area of his persona is of course true as well. Imagine that he is slightly different and you are out of the whole story. Oddly he still uses the 1980s lies to sell his records and concerts if sales are bad, like he pretended in his interviews with Southern European media last year that he is supposedly this asexual guy who most likes to sit his hotel room on his own and write, while it has been well established that he is not like this and the set list of the accompanying tour has been about the core of his being with the majority of songs being about his homosexuality and misogyny. He had all the opportunities to come up with an album that was totally different, but he has chosen to go this road and what a surprise - not - that he is selling those arenas to mainly blokes. The only truely disgusting thing about all this is that he gets money from some European culture fund for touring Europe with such lyrics. But then again we know who the people are who have marched through the institutions since the early 80s.

 

[Anonymous]

Great piece. And totally to the point.

Of course it is one big fat lie when Morrissey claims that The Smiths were entirely self-made. And he even admits himself in his Autobiography that on his own he didn't get anything done apart from write the lyrics. And that he had this friend who was a writer and that there were six people at Rough Trade who put the whole persona together including feeding him with books that fit and we know that he was buddies and seen out and about with the odd PR person who more likely than not practised interviews with him. If you go back to The Smiths interviews, and he still does it today, he often times just goes on taking for the sake of talking, because he knows that the impression counts more than what he actually says.

The very restricted area of his persona is of course true as well. Imagine that he is slightly different and you are out of the whole story. Oddly he still uses the 1980s lies to sell his records and concerts if sales are bad, like he pretended in his interviews with Southern European media last year that he is supposedly this asexual guy who most likes to sit his hotel room on his own and write, while it has been well established that he is not like this and the set list of the accompanying tour has been about the core of his being with the majority of songs being about his homosexuality and misogyny. He had all the opportunities to come up with an album that was totally different, but he has chosen to go this road and what a surprise - not - that he is selling those arenas to mainly blokes. The only truely disgusting thing about all this is that he gets money from some European culture fund for touring Europe with such lyrics. But then again we know who the people are who have marched through the institutions since the early 80s.

Ha ha ha ha ... Are you serious? You didn't even read Autobiography and this interview properly, so I can't take you seriously, sorry.

 

[Uncleskinny]

The only truely disgusting thing about all this is that he gets money from some European culture fund for touring Europe with such lyrics.

Really? Is there any evidence to back this up?

P.

 

[Anonymous]

Just a question but if The Smiths did reform who would their audience be ?
The young solo ultras loudly voice their hate at The Smiths, then there's the international airport big noses who seem be on twenty four hour standby (good God imagine that),
The old guard who served their formative years ?
It just wouldn't be like the old days anymore, the thought of my first two examples turning up makes me think about mass murder .
Maybe we should leave The Smiths in the " Think of a happy place "

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[Surface]

Just a question but if The Smiths did reform who would their audience be ?
The young solo ultras loudly voice their hate at The Smiths, then there's the international airport big noses who seem be on twenty four hour standby (good God imagine that),
The old guard who served their formative years ?
It just wouldn't be like the old days anymore, the thought of my first two examples turning up makes me think about mass murder .
Maybe we should leave The Smiths in the " Think of a happy place "

Benny-the-British-Butcher

Personally I wouldn't go, saw them twice in their prime ( I actually started to see them a 3rd time at Preston until some shit threw a 50p coin which hit Morrissey on the head) and am happy with the memories from that. Seeing them on a stage together after court cases etc wouldn't work for me. I assume probable attendees would be a mix of older folks who never got the chance first time around and the younger generation who believe all the hype.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

It's been a while since I've heard from snivelling Gregor. What makes you think I care about your opinion now when I didn't give 2 f***s last time?

best
BB

I dunno. I just (vainly) hope that you someday will wake up. And shape up.